Assistant Power Plant Manager

DTE Energy; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

DTE Energy in Cincinnati is seeking a seasoned plant operations leader responsible for the daily operation of a cogeneration facility and related assets. The role emphasizes safety, reliability, and efficiency within a unionized environment, reporting to the Plant Manager and collaborating with site leadership.

You will guide maintenance planning, optimize outages, and drive cost-effective operations while maintaining regulatory compliance and a strong safety culture across the site.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• At least 8 years of supervisory or managerial experience in a cogeneration power plant with a represented (Union) workforce.
• Preferred: technical degrees were considered; additional qualifications may apply.
• Thorough understanding of plant operations and maintenance, with knowledge of boilers and water treatment processes.
• Strong communication skills and ability to analyze and improve operations and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Maintains a strong safety culture and complies with site safety requirements.
• Develops operating philosophies to maximize plant availability, efficiency, and productivity.
• Ensures contractors comply with On-Site BU policies and safety requirements.
• Leads O&M technicians and skilled trades to ensure safe operation and maintenance while managing schedules.
• Prepares plant operation reports and investigates forced outages for remediation.
• Leads planning and budgeting for planned outages and capital improvements.
• Drives continuous improvement of metrics and development of plant personnel.

Skills

Leadership

Safety culture

Operations management

Union labor experience

Budgeting

Education

High school diploma or GED

8+ years supervisory/management experience in cogeneration plant with union workforce

Job description

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DTE is one of the nation’s largest diversified energy companies. Our electric and gas companies have fueled our customer’s homes and Michigan’s progress for more than a century.And as Michigan’s largest source of renewable energy, we’re creating a cleaner, healthier environment to power our future. We’re also serving communities beyond Michigan, where our affiliated businesses offer renewable energy, emission control technologies, and energy services to industries in 19 states. But we’re more than a leading energy company... and working at DTE is more than just a job.At DTE, we take great care of each other and our customers, and we use our energy to be a force for growth and prosperity in our communities. When you join us, you’ll be part of a team that welcomes, recognizes, and celebrates differences, and values everyone’s health, safety, and wellbeing. Are you ready to make that kind of difference? Bring your energy to DTE.Together, we can achieve great things.

Job Summary

Location: St. Bernard

This is a leadership position with responsibility for utility and energy-related assets located within a powerhouse and throughout the associated facility. Utility systems and powerhouse infrastructure experience is required, particularly in the competitive, non-regulated energy market. Experience managing unionized labor is important.

As a leader, this position is an integral part of the site management team. A high degree of communication and collaboration with others is required. Proactive leadership (by example) to reinforce DTE’s core values of Safety, Reliability, Efficiency, and Responsibility to continuously improve and develop employee culture is critical for the success of this position.

The person holding this position provides leadership to the operations and maintenance groups on the daily operation of equipment under the general direction of the Plant Manager. He or she manages the daily operation of the facility to ensure the environment and plant personnel are safe.

This person will be knowledgeable of all environmental and compliance permits and how they are implemented in an operating plant. They will also have a demonstrated knowledge of the maintenance management function of a cogeneration power plant managing the planned outage activities; focused on optimization of scope, schedule, and budget.

Reporting to the Plant Manager, the employee functions as part of the site leadership team utilizing their technical expertise, discretion, and judgment within established policies, procedures, and practices.

Results are reviewed through the achievement of set goals and adherence to the On-Site Business Unit and DTE Energy policies, procedures, and practices.

Key Accountabilities

• Maintains a strong safety culture. Complies with all site safety and environmental requirements and procedures. Identifies safety hazards and takes corrective actions as necessary. Assists with the development of and ensures that all site safety requirements and procedures are properly implemented, consistently observed and corrective actions are initiated when applicable
• Develops, implements, and manages consistent plant operating philosophies and best practices to maximize plant availability, efficiency, and productivity
• Ensures Contractors comply with all On-Site Business Unit and DTE Energy policies, procedures, and Safety requirements
• Constantly reviews and improves operational processes and ensures that operating personnel are properly trained and adhere to established policies, procedures, and standards
• Manages the O&M Technicians and Skilled Trades to ensure safe and efficient operation and maintenance of the plant while actively managing schedules to minimize overtime and comply with administrative guidelines
• Establishes, reviews, and modifies as required all predictive/preventive maintenance requirements programmed into the maintenance management system in alignment with maintenance strategy
• Develops performance goals and reviews in a comprehensive, open, and objective manner to align employee accountabilities and conduct with operational processes in accordance with administrative guidelines
• Investigates operating abnormalities and incidents to improve equipment availability and performance and to minimize maintenance requirements
• Prepares necessary plant operation reports in a timely manner and investigates all forced outages, reporting them in accordance with the BU practice through SharePoint
• In collaboration with Plant Manager, prepares and continually evaluates the operating department’s budgets and/or makes recommendations to the Plant Manager relative to optimization of operations and maintenance costs
• Assists with maintenance engineering evaluations and troubleshooting of equipment abnormalities
• Maintains a consistent and effective level of communication with Plant Manager, Administrative staff, O&M Technicians and Skilled Trades on shift
• Assist the Plant Manager with project management of all planned outage activities, including long term planning for capital improvements
• In collaboration with the Plant Manager, drives continuous improvement of established metrics on the plant huddle board. Continually stretching goals toward the plants True North
• Lead/support development of plant personnel in skillsets, equipment/system knowledge and solving critical operational concerns
• Support management of change process to ensure traceability and collaboration on execution
• Lead/support problem solving activities and coach and mentor the 4 CI capabilities within the team
• Assures proper staffing, scheduling, orientation, and training of the plant staff, and manages compliance with all company policies and procedures. Supports recruiting, interviews, and assigns operations and maintenance employment candidates.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements

• A high school diploma or GED
• At least 8 years of supervisory or managerial experience in a Cogeneration power plant with a represented (Union) workforce

Other Qualifications

Preferred:

• Additional consideration provided for technical degrees

Other Requirements:

• Thorough, demonstrated understanding of plant operations and maintenance, with strong knowledge of generating equipment, boilers, and water treatment processes
• Ability to analyze and improve operations business processes
• Proven planning and scheduling experience working with O&M, and other technical personnel involved with preventative/predictive maintenance and corrective maintenance
• Solid knowledge of plant engineering and plant maintenance functions and how they relate to operations
• Experience with accounting practices as it relates to analyzing cost impacts to budget
• Demonstrated skill in planning, coordinating, and directing varied programs and tasks directly affecting the overall plant operation
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work shifts and extra/irregular hours and to work under unusual and special conditions that can arise in a generation station
• Ability to pass respirator fit tests to use respiratory protective equipment or self-contained breathing apparatus at all times

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

The physical demands characterized here epitomize those that must be met by an employee to properly perform the integral functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.In order to properly perform the integral functions of this job, the employee is frequently required to:

• Occasionally stand or walk and stoop or kneel
• Frequently sit
• Talk and hear, use hands and fingers; handle and feel' and able to reach with hands and arems extensively
• Enter and work in confined space areas, including boilers, condensers, tanks, etc. to evaluate equipment condition or inspect work efforts by assigned resources
• Frequently lift objects of up to 10 pounds in weight. Occasionally lift or move onjectos of up to 40pounds in weight
• Use computers with exposure to video display terminals; and some repetitive motion associated with data entry, the use of a computer mouse, and while using other office equipment
• Possess the following vision requirements: close, color, distance, peripheral, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus

Work both in a business office setting and a plant site.Occasionally be exposed to outside weather conditions, including wet and/or himid conditions, and may work near moving mechanical parts and/or machinery.Occasionally be exposed to fumes or airborne particles and vibration.Be in a work environment that is usually moderat but may become loud at the plant site

Additional Information

Incumbents may engage in all or some combination of the activities and accountabilities, and utilize a variety of the competencies cited in this description depending upon the organization and role to which they are assigned. This description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by incumbents in this job. It is not intended as an all-inclusive list of accountabilities or responsibilities, nor is it intended to limit the rights of supervisors or management representatives to assign, direct and control the work of employees under their supervision.

At DTE Energy, we are committed to providing an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and a sense of belonging. We seek individuals with a heart for service, a passion to help our communities prosper, and ideas to help shape the future of energy. We are proud to be an equal opportunity, employer that considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, citizenship, height, weight, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal and/or state laws.